The Heigui Enclave quickly lost its external protection, reverting back into the desolate flaming abyss that the Black Masks had left it in. Heigui Zhengkang, the one responsible for the Tidal Shell and the man that the Lantis Republic was about to punish, had just vanished in a puff of smoke.
Shin and the three Spirit Saints were gobsmacked and were unable to mouth out any words. They'd come here prepared for war, and yet… Their enemies disappeared even before they could draw their swords.
"Y-you… W-what did you do?!" Shin stammered in disbelief. He'd firmly believed that there was no escaping from his Celestial Aura. He'd even asked the Spirit Saints that accompanied him to lock down space just in case. Yet, Saint Heigui had managed to escape unscathed.
"Tunnel..." Midori replied with a vibrant chuckle.
"Tunnel… You mean that Mirror Deity only needs a small connection to move objects through the fabric of space-time?"
"..." The Gargantuan Treant didn't reply. He was surrounded by four Saint-levelled experts, but his expression was wholly calm. Not to mention, each one of them was carrying an overflowing bottle of hate for the Black Masks and Saint Heigui. However, without their targets, the experts weren't sure where to direct all of their bloodlusts. Well, they do know it was just… it took them a few seconds to figure it out.
"YOU FUCKING BLACK MASKS!!!" Longyu Tian cursed with everything that she had, summoning out the iconic Golden Sovereign Koi. The immense spiritual energies that infested the world choked any poor soul that wandered near the explosive Spirit Saint, and the Gargantuan Treant was no different.
For the first time since he appeared, Midori felt a constricting pain weighing down upon his chest. The vines and trees that sprouted from his verdant floating platform were melting away while he'd lost all control over his mana. Without any probes, the Gargantuan Treant fell to his knees and exposed all of his weak spots for the Spirit Saint to see.
'This… is the… end, huh?' Midori thought to himself. People say that the moment the final flicker of light burns out in one's soul, one's whole life would flash before their eyes. And Midori was experiencing something similar.
The Gargantuan Treant thought back on the first day he saw the light. He was just a mere infant, no taller than a bonsai tree. He marvelled at the beauty of the sunlight which pierced through the canopies, the succulent water that dripped upon his newborn face, and the gentle air of the Uncharted Wilderness.
Then, the Gargantuan Treant started to reminisce on the thousands of years it took him to mature. The first time he'd seen the ocean as a landbound creature. The first time he'd spread his pollen around to create new Treants. The first time he'd seen the faces of a newborn Treant, his very own children… Everything was so simple and beautiful…
And then… The Gargantuan Treant remembered the first time he'd met… humans.
As they had for generations, humans had been trying to tame the Uncharted Wilderness ever since they'd learnt how to traverse vast lands. They wanted new and unconquered territory to increase their influence and grow their never-ending population. Development of humans would lead in the destruction of fertile soils, and the Uncharted Wilderness was no exception.
Once, the Gargantuan Treant had met a wandering Spirit Saint that had delved into the Uncharted Wilderness for no apparent reason. He'd attacked any Spirit Beasts he saw and challenged the overlords of the land. If the Spirit Saint failed, he wouldn't retreat. He would simply take a little time to recover, before diving headfirst in again.
In the end, the Spirit Saint had caught himself in a trap created by an Empyrean Wonder, paralysing the man and dampening any hopes he had of escape. Intrigued by the Spirit Saint's behaviour, the Gargantuan Treant once asked: "Why do you do this? Why do you kill our brethren and try to conquer the Uncharted Wilderness every time?"
The Spirit Saint just looked at the Treant and laughed. His answer would shock the Gargantuan Treant to his core and have placed him on the path he was on.
"Because I can."
Those three words had made the Gargantuan Treant realise one thing… Humans would never cease their siege on the Uncharted Wilderness and the homeland of the Spirit Beasts. As long as the Uncharted Wilderness exists, humans will continue to raid it, killing billions of Spirit Beasts in the process. No matter how many times they fail, humans will continue to attempt to clear out the forests, killing all of the inhabitants within. And that included the Gargantuan Treant's species.
So… When the Allfather came to the Gargantuan Treant with a deal that would separate the Uncharted Wilderness from the main continent… The Gargantuan Treant didn't even need to think twice.
From that moment, the Gargantuan Treant, who was widely known as the most docile of Tier 9 Spirit Beasts, joined the flanks of the Black Masks and became Midori.
Midori served the Allfather, not for the promise of eternity, and neither was it for overwhelming power or resources to enter the Primordial Realm. Midori served the Allfather only because of the Grand Scheme and its side-plan of dividing the Terre Continent. Yes, humans won't stop their desire to colonise unsearched lands such as the Uncharted Wilderness. However, putting an entire ocean in between them was an excellent way to slow them down and deter future expeditions. Furthermore, with the human world in turmoil, the Spirit Beasts within the Uncharted Wilderness would be free to grow and evolve, becoming even stronger versions of themselves in the near future.
And thus, Midori faithfully carried out the Allfather's plans to the letter. It didn't matter if he had to kill thousands of humans or carry a simple boulder up a hill. As long as the Treant species in the Uncharted Wilderness were safe, Midori was content.
And to top it all off… The Allfather had delivered on his promise. The Uncharted Wilderness was now its own continent, and the whole world had forgotten about its existence. Therefore, the Gargantuan Treant had lost all reason it had to serve the Black Masks anymore.
'Maybe… This is… for the… better...' Midori chuckled to himself. 'No more… battles… No more… killings… No more… deaths...'
There was no reason for Midori to fight and thus… No reason for him to challenge the Spirit Saints that were staring him down. From the start, the Gargantuan Treant was a gentle being, hating death and destruction. If there wasn't a need to, Midori would be certain to treasure life above all else. Thus, his end here… Facing his end under Shin's hands… That didn't sound all that bad.
"Wait, something is wrong..." Shin halted Longyu Tian's attack. "He's not moving..."
"Hmph, isn't it obvious! He sacrificed himself to let the others escape!" The Saint of Time roared. "That bastard knows that he's nothing against us and wants to die under our hands… Hmph! Since he's so smart, let me oblige him!"
"Wait, Aunt Tian!" Shin shouted, stopping the Saint of Time from one-shotting the Gargantuan Treant. "He's not going to run anywhere now! We can capture him like the other Noble Beasts and interrogate him! Who knows? If we can get the Allfather's curse out of his body, maybe he'll become like Kin and Gin?"
"Ha… Ha… Ha..." While the Prince of Water was desperately trying to convince his partners from killing the Gargantuan Treant, a burst of amused laughter emerged from his mouth.
"What? Is this funny to you?" Longyu Tian snapped.
"No…" Midori shook his head. "Shin Iofiel… You are… kind…"
"Gargantuan Treant..." The Prince looked at Midori with sad eyes. "Gargantuan Treant… Although you are one of the most active among the Noble Beasts, you rarely kill people. Even if you must do so, you limit the casualties. So, I don't believe that you're an evil being like the rest of them."
"Rest… of… them? You're… mistaken..." Midori chuckled.
"W-what?"
"None… of… us… are… evil..." The Gargantuan Treant continued to amuse the Prince. "We… are… the… same… as… humans..."
"..." This time it was Shin's turn to keep his silence. In any normal circumstances, Shin would have called on the Noble Beast's bullshit. Alas, Midori had hit the problem that was troubling Shin's conflicted heart. From the situation with Kin, Gin and Momo to the current tragedy that was inflicted on the Heigui Clan where Saint Heigui betrayed his own family clan.
"You'll see..."
"Wait… What are you-!"
"Ha… Ha… Ha…" Midori spread his wooden arms out wide, bellowing in hysterical laughter. The sturdy limbs of the Gargantuan Treant started to come apart. Leaves dropped down from his head as the mighty wood that was capable of resisting a steel katana was now withering away. Midori's abundant mana was decaying rapidly, and his entire soul seemed to be sinking to the bottom of the ocean.
"Shit! He's committing suicide!" Saint Atossa hollered.
"Mmmm… That seems to be the case." Zishen snorted.
"Tsk, this bastard..." Saint Longyu Tian clicked her tongue and folded her arms. If the Gargantuan Treant was launching an attack, they would do everything in their power to seal down space and lock the Gargantuan Treant within. However, even a Spirit Saint couldn't stop a Tier 9 Spirit Beast's suicide from within.
"Midori, you..." Shin gulped.
"Shin Iofiel… I hope... we meet... again..." The Gargantuan Treant smiled. He looked up at the heavens, as each molecule within his body was disintegrating away. There was no stopping it now… The mighty Gargantuan Treant, the oldest Tier 9 Spirit Beast on record, had now…
Faded into oblivion.
~~~ End of Book 13 ~~~